'Slugging It Out For the Last 19 Years' - Scott Stapp Takes Time to Look Back on His Solo Career

On Wednesday (July 30), Scott Stapp was a special guest on Loudwire Nights as he celebrated the continued resurgence of Creed as well as the success of his latest solo album, Higher Power.

Listen to the full conversation in the player near the end of this article.

"I am feeling blessed and I'm also having this tremendous sense of not only gratitude, but satisfaction," Stapp admitted to host Chuck Armstrong.

That satisfaction is especially felt by Stapp as he thinks about his solo career; he’s worked for years to have an album breakthrough like 2024's Higher Power.

"A lot of people may not know that in terms of my solo career, I was back in clubs, I've been slugging it out in clubs and small theaters for the last 19 years," he shared.

"Just from the Higher Power tour that I did last year before the Creed tour, I could already see the impact that this new record was making. My crowds doubled and tripled in markets, people were singing songs that had not been released. I saw my audience shift and kind of mirror Creed's new audience."

Stapp shared a pretty surprising statistic related to both his solo tour as well as Creed's tour.

"People may not know this, but 80-percent of the tickets that Creed are selling are to people between 18 and 30," he said.

"And I'm seeing that same thing happen with my solo music ... I've got this feeling like I did in 1997 with Creed all over again as a solo artist."

As much as Stapp is enjoying this success as a solo artist, he also can't help but be astonished at the continued love fans all over the world have poured out for Creed.

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"I'm just kind of floating, man," Stapp said.

"I'm just trying to process it all, digest it all ... I'm humbled by it all, man, and I have a renewed sense of purpose."

What Else Did Scott Stapp Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• How he knew Higher Power was special: "About halfway into the album, when we had about half the demos done, I started getting that same feeling that I would get when I would be in the same place with the first three, four Creed records."
• Why he believes he's living proof that hard work pays off: "Art, work and dedication pays off. For anyone out there listening, don't give up on your dreams. If you feel it in your gut, trust your gut and don't let anybody convince you otherwise. Take that chance because it'll happen."
• Why he feels a responsibility with his music: "I think that comes with maturity and for me, what it took to reach that level where you accept that this is a responsibility and it's something to be cherished -- you have to live your life accordingly."

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Scott Stapp joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, July 30; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.